Corona | Open Letter of TanzRaumBerlin Network, Contemporary Dance Berlin Association and Tanzbüro Berlin

Crisis and Structures – How to Move Forward with Dance in Berlin?

From the open letter published on April 6, 2020: “We’d explicitly like to thank Senator for Economics Ramona Pop, Culture Senator Dr Klaus Lederer and Finance Senator Dr Matthias Kollatz as well as the relevant administrative departments for their decisive action, the governing red-red-green coalition for its clear commitment to, and engagement in, creative artists in Berlin, and the IBB for the speedy and professional processing of Soforthilfe II [emergency aid]. However, the current transfer of the programme to the federal level renders it largely ineffective for independent artists who have not yet applied for it, and we join with Berlin associations and the Coalition of the Independent Scene in demanding that the federal state and federal government to align the Corona aid programmes with the actual needs of artists and artistic enterprises.

It is now even more important to develop, strengthen and stabilise structures. The first steps on this path had already been taken in relation to dance with the Round Table for Dance in 2018 and the implementation, already begun, of the measures agreed by the Senate in December 2019 – and we must continue consistently along this path at precisely this time! As a first measure, Residency Funding as co-operation between Berlin presentation/productions venues and artists was advertised as a pilot project on March 12, 2020. The second measure, the pilot project Dance Practice as a long-term stipend, and for which the Contemporary Dance Berlin association and the Tanzbüro had already drawn up detailed implementation proposals with the Senate Department for Culture and Europe in January 2020, is expected to start in July 2020 with the call for applications planned for April/May. The third measure is concerned with strengthening decentralised locations for dance. Thanks to the €300,000 grant awarded to the Uferstudios production location, a great deal of progress has already been made, which we very much welcome. The further €100,000 available should now be awarded as soon as possible. For this, the Contemporary Dance Berlin association, the TanzRaumBerlin Network and the Tanzbüro have drawn up and communicated detailed proposals. Despite all the adversities that administrative departments are currently also facing, it would be an important signal if these three measures were brought forward quickly as an immediate strengthening of dance. The Contemporary Dance Berlin association, the TanzRaumBerlin Network and the Tanzbüro Berlin are ready to provide assistance with this at any time, similarly with the implementation of the additional measures from the Dance Round Table.”

The full open letter is available here (in German).